Do You Talk to Your Patients Before You Examine Them?
Not at them. Not about them. But with them.
If you’re not starting each appointment with a real conversation, you’re missing the most important part of your consultation.
And if you’re relying on a paper form or an online portal to do the heavy lifting of gathering your patient’s medical and dental history, you may be setting yourself up for clinical risk, patient dissatisfaction – or even a complaint.
“The Patient Didn’t Tell Me.”
Dentists often approach me feeling fearful, anxious, or even panicked. Something’s gone wrong – or they’re worried it might – and they want guidance.
A phrase I hear over and over again is:
“The patient didn’t tell me.”
When we unpick the situation, I always ask:
“What questions did you ask them? And how did you ask them?”
Without exception, the answer is the same:
“I didn’t. They didn’t write it on their medical history form.”
And that’s the problem.
A tick box doesn’t elicit insight. A signature doesn’t build trust. A portal can’t raise its eyebrows when something doesn’t quite add up.
You can.
Medical Histories Are Not a Form – They’re a Conversation
Think about it this way: before physical activity, we warm up.
Singers warm up. Actors do vocal exercises. Athletes stretch.
It prepares the body and the mind for what’s coming next.
As dentists, we need a verbal warm-up before the clinical exam. Not just to gather information, but to build connection and open up communication.
A story from my own experience:
I once saw a patient who’d been attending a practice for over 15 years. When I met them for the first time, I sat alongside them and went through their history conversationally.
It emerged that they had epilepsy and had been taking medication for 25 years – something that had never once appeared in their notes.
Why?
Because it was missed on the first form… and never verbally checked again.
No one had asked.
Why It Matters More Than You Think
A printed or digital medical history may be “efficient”, but it’s often incomplete.
The real insight lies not in the answers patients give, but in:
- The pause before they speak
- The slight tightening around the eyes
- The hesitation in tone
- The change in skin colour or posture
These are the clues that alert you to something significant. Something that a tick box would never reveal.
By having a conversation, you create a space where patients feel seen, heard, and safe. That’s when they begin to really tell you what’s going on.
Raise Your Standards – Not Just Your Speed
Yes, digital systems save time. Yes, they reduce admin.
But at what cost?
You are the master of you’re admin systems, not their slave.
If you’re serious about becoming a safer, more confident, more exceptional dentist – one who moves beyond the fear of complaints – you must raise your standards.
Don’t abdicate this essential step to software. Use it as a tool, not a substitute.
Just because others don’t take the time doesn’t mean you should follow suit.
You get to choose, be part of the average… or be better.
A Better Conversation Is Your Safest Tool
The quality of your conversation will differentiate you.
It’s how you build relationships.
It’s how you offer safer, more appropriate treatment.
It’s how you eliminate misunderstandings and prevent complaints.
And it’s how you become the dentist your patients trust – and talk about.
What Now?
If your why is to:
- Improve patient care
- Eliminate anxiety and fear
- Protect yourself and your team
And the what is:
- Have more comprehensive conversations before your clinical exam
Then your next question is:
How do I do it?
That’s where I can help.
If you want to learn how to ask better questions, build deeper trust, and read the invisible signals your patients are giving you, drop me a message or join me on one of our communication skills training programmes such as Patient Centred Communication – BEST CHOICES.
Let’s stop rushing. Let’s stop assuming.
Let’s start talking – properly.
Your patients deserve it.
And so do you.
